


Boxes and Boxes

by afewreelthoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 20:12:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17107352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewreelthoughts/pseuds/afewreelthoughts
Summary: Robb and Renly exchange gifts on Christmas morning. There is a surprise or two.





	Boxes and Boxes

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays to all my readers! 
> 
> This might slot into my bigger modern au for these characters at a later point, but for now, it's just its own thing, and I couldn't resist publishing it now, 'cause 'tis the season!
> 
> I own nothing and make no money from this. Everything belongs to GRRM.

“There’s going to be glitter in my hair for weeks!  _For weeks you jerk!”_ Robb wanted to sound angry and imposing, but it was hard to do when Renly was curled up on the floor, laughing so hard tears streamed down his cheeks.

“And you don’t care, do you?” Robb shoved him with his foot.

“You weren’t supposed to shake it like that!”

“Well I did and it’s in my mouth!”

Renly burst out laughing again, and Robb laughed with him. He picked up a handful of the glitter from his Christmas present and threw it at Renly, who was too far gone to care.

Inside a tightly-wrapped package, so tightly-wrapped Robb had torn the paper violently in order to get it open, were two VIP tickets to the Stormlands Folk Music Festival. Robb hadn’t been in years and had talked about who was going to  be there nonstop for the past month. He hadn’t thought he was asking for a present when he did, much less such a big present, b _ut they were a couple, and he guessed he shouldn’t have been surprised that Renly cared that much._ The gift would have been perfect if the tickets hadn’t been packaged with a metric ton of gold glitter which Renly was trying, through his tears, to explain was just supposed to look nice. Robb didn’t believe him.

At least it made Robb feel better about his own gift. He picked up the large box, pretending to struggle with it. “Merry Christmas.”

Renly lifted the lid off and the look on his face when he saw another box half its size inside it was worth being on the receiving end of all the pranks in the world. If things went well, Robb might have to get used to that…

Renly picked up the smaller box and began to unwrap it. This was was wrapped properly, paper pulled tight over every side, tape in every possible corner. He first tried to unwrap it neatly, but gave up on the ribbon and just tore.

Sansa had said this was a good idea. Sansa had said this was a good idea, hadn’t she? Had Robb gotten some part of it wrong? He might have.

Renly finally opened the box.

Inside was a smaller box.

“You fucking jerk,” Renly said. “I put a little glitter in your gift that you _tear open like an animal_ , and you have  _purposely_  made me - ”

“You’ve gotta work for it,” Robb said, his heart leaping into his throat.

Renly opened the box and inside was a ball of yarn.

Renly half-smiled at Robb. “It’s yarn.”

It was a stupid idea. Sansa was all about big romantic gestures, and she was right that Renly was, too, but this was so unlike Robb…

“You have to unravel it,” he explained.

Renly held the yarn next to his ear and shook it. “Is whatever’s inside breakable?”

“No.”

Renly grabbed the end of the yarn and pulled at it, sending the yarn skittering away from him. “Can I cut it open or - “

“No. You have to unravel it.”

Robb hoped Renly didn’t look at him now. He was so nervous he felt queasy.

Renly worked at unrolling the yarn, tangling it in his hands, and somehow he managed to wrap it around his neck a couple of times when finally finally he came to the end. The sound of metal clattering onto the wood floorboards made Renly freeze.

"Robb, what is this?”

 _Just be confident,_ Sansa had said,  _what’s the worst thing he can say?_

 _I don’t know, and you don’t either,_  he had said.

Robb placed his hand on Renly’s shoulder and rubbed it in small circles. “It doesn’t have to be anything if you don’t want it to be.” Robb could feel the heat of his skin through his pajamas.  _I don’t want to lose you._

Renly was quiet for what felt like an eternity.

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” Robb said, picking the ring up. It was thick and heavy, he hadn’t wanted to get anything that looked girlish, gold with a large blue stone set into the band, so that that whole thing was smooth. He hoped Renly liked it.

“I mean you don’t have to say anything about _this_ , but it would be nice if you said something.”

“This isn’t a joke?”

“What? What kind of joke would that be?”

“Cause the glitter… that was on purpose! You tear presents open, and it thought if it went everywhere that would be funny, and it’s childish, I know, but it was just a joke. This…”

“Isn’t a joke.” Robb took Renly’s hands and looked him right in the eyes. He didn’t turn away. “I love you, and this isn’t a joke.” He took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?“

Renly squeezed his hands and nodded. 

“Yes.”


End file.
